2009 U.S. Open returning to 'The People's Country Club'

Bethpage State Park's acclaimed Black Course, known as the "The People's Country Club" and where determined players have been known to sleep in their cars just for a chance to play the famed course, in June will play host to its second U.S. Open. In 2002, Bethpage Black became the first municipally owned daily fee course to host the United States Golf Association's national championship.

The U.S. Open will return to Bethpage State Park's acclaimed Black Course in 2009, which in 2002 became the first municipally owned daily-fee golf course to play host to the United States Golf Association's national championship.

Located in Farmington, N.Y., and known as "The People's Country Club," Bethpage State Park opened in 1932 and is a 1,500-acre state-run facility that includes five golf courses. From 1934-1935, the Green, Blue, Red and Black Courses were constructed, as well as the clubhouse. A fifth course, the Yellow Course, was opened for play in 1958.

When it played host to the 2002 U.S. Open, Bethpage Black, originally designed by A.W. Tillinghast and later given a major facelift from Rees Jones, measured a then-U.S. Open-record 7,214 yards and played to a par of 70. The parkland-style course more than proved itself as a major-championship venue, with only champion Tiger Woods finishing the 72-hole competition under par at 277 (3 under).

Woods, who now owns 14 major titles, is recovering from reconstructive knee surgery performed in June of 2008 shortly after he won his third U.S. Open victory, at Torrey Pines in a 19-hole Monday playoff over Rocco Mediate. Woods, the world's No. 1-ranked player, is expected to be fully recovered and back in action when the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black is held June 15-21, 2009.

Some minor alterations have been to the course for the 2009 U.S. Open, but it should feature essentially the same challenging characteristics that the world's best golfers faced seven years ago.